The Royals will go for a home series win over the Yanks on Sunday, a trick they haven’t turned since April 2008. Since 1996, KC is 39-95 against New York, including 24-43 at home. (Update: They didn’t get it.)

– Mike Minor vs. Jamie Moyer: First NL game this year with both starters allowing 10+ hits. Each one did it in 5 IP; each of the last two season has seen just one such game. There have been 30 such games since 1995, 8 of them at Coors Field.

In 3 of their last 4 games, the Braves have totaled 37 runs on 52 hits and 15 walks, with 7 HRs and 7 doubles. In between, Joe Blantonskunked them on 3 singles.

– Friday’s first-ever meeting between Jonny Gomes and Brandon Gomes (no relation) resulted in a HBP. Their meeting Saturday ended in a 4-pitch walk. Their fortunes continued diverging from that point: Jonny’s nice catch in the bottom of the 10th and his HR in the 12th led his new mates to victory over the red-hot team that developed him, while Brandon was optioned to AAA after the game.

– Youngsters, here’s a good reason to listen when your folks tell you to polish your shoes.

Belated note:

– Overshadowed by Friday’s dramatic ending was yet another strong start by Tigers rookie (and AL ERA leader) Drew Smyly. The second-year pro is the first Tiger in the searchable era to start his career with 5 starts allowing 2 runs or less. Smyly has 29 Ks in 28 IP; only one Tiger has ever had a qualifying season with 9 SO/9.

I don’t know when the appropriate time to address this would be, but Brett Lawrie has accumulated some very significant dWAR in his 700 innnings of work over the last two 1/2 seasons at 3B. Has anyone noticed that his defensive runs would be at 32 for the 1200 inning threshold and that this tops the two greatest seasons ever by a 3B – Brooks Robinson in 1967 and 1968?

Just curious, Neil L., or anyone out there, is does this guy really “look” to be the superior of Nettles, Schmidt, Rolen, Beltre, and Brooks? You know, by the “eye test”. Lemme know
Thanks

I have hardly seen Lawrie on defense, but one thing I see in his defensive stats is a very high number of DPs — 18 in 71 games, which equates to a Longorian 39 DPs per 162 games.

Such things can certainly be affected by the number of innings thrown by lefty pitchers, and the Jays did have an above-average number of those last year. But this year, they’re on the flip side of that coin, and Lawrie’s DP rate is even higher than last year.

I’m not sure, Timmy, but I got my first view of LaHair tonight against the Braves. First pitch from Tommy Hanson, LaHair hit one 395′ to dead center that certainly would have gone out without that wet, cold fog blowing in over Wrigley. The very next pitch in his next at-bat, he drills one out into the right-centerfield seats. Consider me impressed, and it is really hard to not root for a career minor-leaguer like LaHair who’s finally getting his day in the sun.

Hi, Timmy — No, LaHair had over 200 PAs before this year, and the cutoff is 125. But heck, if he can’t be Rookie of the Year, he can still be MVP!

By the way, do you have laryngitis? Shouldn’t you be singing about Big Z right now? A CG, 3-hit shutout with 9 Ks and 1 walk! His last shutout was almost 3 years and about 40 pounds ago! (You can’t be that bummed out over his 0-3 at the plate!)

Thanks John, I wasn’t sure of the rule for rookies. The guy looks to be a great hitter, LaHair that is. I commented earlier on the great start Z had. He looks to be in the best shape of his career and the slider is really snapping.

Lawrie is impressive offensively and defensively. He’s a max effort guy on every play, so that helps his range but may hurt his error total. But, so far his arm seems strong and reliable.

In a recent game, John Farrell employed an exaggerated shift on the right side with Lawrie in short right. The batter hit a little nubber down the first base line and the throw to first went into right field. Lawrie fielded it and rushed a throw to first (it was wild, but no harm done). Replays showed he could indeed have retired the runner with a good throw, but I suspect 99 guys out of 100 just pick that ball up and lob it into second.